Depression and Enlightenment

Originally posted by Jason on the Discussion Boards in the Inspiration Divine Fan Page:

What did the Inspiration Work mean to me? In all honesty, I nearly
canceled the morning of the workshop. Afterward, I was extremely
grateful I hadn't.

For nearly my entire life, I have dealt with
depression and the spectrum of effects that arise from it. From
pre-pubescence through early adulthood I assumed it was an integral
part of me. Eventually I realized that was not the case, but did not
have the strategies, know-how, or life experience to effectively
reverse the mentality. For the last few years, I have actively
addressed my depression, gaining knowledge of it, coming to know it and
ultimately working toward completely overcoming its effects. I think of
it as being cyclical or wave-like. Finding enjoyment in "navigating the
seas" has been quintessential to growing out of depression. Learning to
be comfortable with being uncomfortable, as is taught in yoga, has
sparked the fires of this growth.

I was not in a good head-space
the weekend of the Inspiration Workshop. In fact, I did not have a
"negative" photo because nothing I saw was making me feel worse than
what I already felt. Really I was at a low somewhere in the mental sea.
Giving myself the gift of showing up for the Inspiration Workshop at
this time allowed me to realize that as long as you continue to show
up, and do the work, you will reap the rewards. This is true even when,
or perhaps especially when, things seem at the worst or most impassible.

Enlightenment,
or as I'm coming to understand it, bringing together my ego and my
subtle body/energy is not a fun or easy task. The age-old adage that
nothing worthwhile is easy has never been more true. This difficulty
marrying ego and existence I consider the lingering echo of depression,
something which with time is getting more and more quiet and less and
less distinguishable from a vague memory of an uninteresting event.

The
Inspiration Workshop to me was proof positive that no matter how hard
life may seem, one need only stay present and grounded to overcome
anything. Staying grounded in the physical moment is both highly
crucial to well-being and amazingly easy with the proper training and
technique.

Inspiration Workshop provides an experience and a
tool with which to achieve and sustain, for lack of a more appropriate
description, enlightenment. Being asked to feel very fully on an
emotional level, and subsequently engage in yoga, which is feeling on a
physical level, stimulates a bond between feeling and movement/breath.
A powerful experience, to be sure.